In Texas, the best way to add square footage to your house is to take advantage of outdoor patio covers as alternate living rooms, dining areas, and even full kitchens.  Planning, spending time and money, you can bring together an oasis for parties, with one key assumption: you have a sturdy patio cover to protect your visitors.  Baytown Patio Covers creates an outdoor furniture investment from the finest materials to bring a superb quality patio cover that will last for decades to come requiring little maintenance costs compared to other patio cover companies.  A patio company that cares will take the time to listen to their customers to ensure they are getting what they want. Patio covers aren’t cheap, so it’s important to have a good understanding between the customer and the company building it.

All these patio cover companies have come a long way from the days of thin, structurally fragile metal patio covers and ornate posts.  Times sure have changed. Today’s homeowners prefer simple geometric patterns, wide covered areas, and amenities such as lamps, ceiling fans, heaters, and skylights.  When you look at even the past four to five years, there has been a significant change in the style of the patio cover. 

Twelve to 15 years ago, it was about one-third lattice, one-third solid and one-third a combination of the two were popular building materials. Now it’s a clear majority of solid covers because consumers have more stuff outdoors they want to secure. 

If you want to get your patio ready to experience the warmer months, here are the most common patio cover fabrics. Material and construction prices range from as little as $10 a square foot for a simple wood frame to more than $50 a square foot for a “smart” louvered aluminum framework. Most aluminum and vinyl projects range from $15 to $55 per square foot.

WOOD

The natural beauty of wood and its variety of colors and textures have made it the ideal choice for patio covers. It can be painted to match your home or the natural left to stand out as a feature.  The main downside to wood is the upkeep. When exposed to the elements, it warps, peels and rots, and must be sanded, painted and even replaced on a regular basis. Wood products are available that are environmentally treated to be more durable, but could cost more than an aluminum or vinyl patio cover. Also, termite infestation, a common occurrence in Texas, may cause your investment to collapse.

ALUMINUM Aluminum is low maintenance and will not deteriorate or become infested. The eco-friendly fiber is resistant to high winds and is durable enough to last a lifetime. In recent years, the aluminum patio covers items that mimic the look and feel of natural wood that has taken over the market.

There are so many choices, from workhorse items that you can dress up to the nicest premium materials. It’s not going to warp, chip or rot, and it can be easily cleaned with a blow from the hose. It’s durable and doesn’t heat; it can help drive down your indoor cooling costs.  The downside is that some don’t like the artificial presence of vinyl in their outdoor environments. Others are a limited number of colors and the need for aluminum or other structural materials for stability and strength, adding to the cost.

SOMETHING EXTRA 

For those looking for the “wow” element of versatility and stability, Louvered roofs offer a 160-degree revolving aluminum louvered device powered by your smartphone. It can be mounted on a timer and even has an optional “rain-sensing” start-of-the-art feature that closes the lovers automatically to keep the furniture (and people) dry.